Wednesday, March 7, 2012

Temple to leave the Mid-American Conference

UPDATE, MARCH 9: According to a MAC press release, BG will move back to East Division for football. The Falcons were to move to the West Division for the 2012 season to accommodate Umass' move to the MAC. With Temple leaving for the Big East, that accommodation will no longer be necessary.

“Temple University requested to be released from its obligation, as a football-only member of providing two season’s prior notice before departing the Mid-American Conference," MAC commissioner Jon Steinbrecher said in the release. "As a result the Conference and its member institutions engaged in a dialogue with Temple regarding an appropriate resolution. We have come to an agreement that is fair to the parties involved.”

“As a result, the Mid-American Conference has adjusted its football divisional alignment. Bowling Green State University will compete in the East Division that will consist of seven member institutions. The West Division will have six members. The eight-game Conference schedule should be released within several weeks.”

Temple negotiated a $6 million with the MAC. Since the season is still months from starting, nothing changes from BG's standpoint.

ORIGINAL POST: The Temple Owls, which has been a football-only member of the Mid-American Conference since 2005, will reportedly leave the conference to compete in the Big East, effective for the 2012 season, according to the Associated Press.

All other Temple sports compete in the Atlantic-10 conference.

The Owls competed in the East Division, and their departure will once again leave the MAC at 13 football members — six in the East, seven in the West.

During the season, it was announced that Massachusetts-Amhurst will join the MAC as a football-only school in 2012 in order to give the conference 14 football teams, thus evening out the divisions.

As part of this addition, BG was relocated to the West Division. The Falcons originally competed in the West in 2002 and 2003, but have been in the East since the 2004 season.

It is unclear whether the Falcons will remain in the West Division, or return to the East Division, where they compete in men's and women's basketball.

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